Larder



A. A. KLEIN.

LARDER- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1917.

1,433,894; Patented Oct. 31, 192i F'igl.

Fig.3.

Fig 2. 6. gmwrm ill Patented (let. 3:1, 192?.

TATES h ittlhtd i ADOLIPH A. KLEIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LARDER.

Application filed June 26, 191?. Serial no. 175,741.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, AnoLrrr A. KLEIN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an 1mprovement in Larders of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved construction of larder for the preservation of food, which embodies features, such that the preservation of food for longer periods than with the refrigerators of the usual character employed for household purposes, is possible; and whereby my improvement may be utilized with or with out cooling, as desired.

In refrigerators as commonly employed for household use in the preservation of foods, dependence is made upon the refrigerating effect of a medium such as ice and thereby subjects the food to a moist atmos phere, which facilitates decomposition, that i only in a minor measure stayed by the refrigerating action, which in a measure arrests fermentation and decomposition by lessening the chemical action.

More particularly, the object of my invention is to provide a construction of larder, which wholly or in part may dispense with the use of ice or other refrigerants and which, moreover, is so constructed that a substantial vacuum is provided in the walls of the larder and. in the doors thereof, and in addition thereto, provision is made for exhausting the air contents of the interchambers or compartments wherein the food is placed so that not only is the food maintained in a relatively dry state but is surrounded with very low tension atmosphere which, because of the lack of moisture, prevents decomposition and which, more over, is maintained in a normal condition by the surrounding vacuous envelope formed by the walls and doors of the larder.

lVith the above and other objects in view, the nature of which will be more fully understood from the descrpition hereinafter, my invention further consists in a novel construction of larder, as hereinafter more fully described and defined in the claims.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawings, the form thereof, which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, but it is to be under structure may be divided by stood that the several instrumentalities of Wl11Cl1 my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arangement and organization of these instrumentalities, asherein shown and described.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation. of a larder embodying my improvements with a portion broken away and the doors removed; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view thereof taken on line of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged view at one corner of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating one of the vacuum valves; Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view corresponding to a portion of Fig. 2 but showing the spacing metal strips in the vacuum wall spaces; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view' of a portion of the metal filling thereof.

2 is the outside wooden cabinet of the larder and has the front frames 13 and 15 for more conveniently providing support for the doors 21, which may be hinged in position in the usual way by hinges 25. These doors are omitted from Fig. 1 so as to show the interior construction of the larder to better advantage. Within the wooden cabinet and separated therefrom by a nonconducting packing or filling 8 is a metallic box-shaped structure formed of walls one within the other to provide com-- partments or spaces between them. [is shown, there are three of these walls indicated at 3, d and 5, and forming between them, the chambers 6 and 7. This boXlike structure is open at the front where it is covered by the door structures described hereinafter.

plurality of compartments 16 in which to place the food, the interior of the boxlilre cross shape frame of metal snugly fitting" its side walls on theinterior. indicated at 9 and 10 and is formed ofsheet metal andprovides the inner hollow compartment 11. In this manner ea'clrofthe compartments .6 is surrounded on the back,

top, bottom, and sides with hollow compart- 1 ments and metallic walls."""A.t the front wherethe doors are arrangedfthe boxlike structure has its top, 'bottomand side-walls shaped as indicated at20 so'as t'o'be adapted Where it is desired to provide This cross shape frame'is to make arelativelyti'ght joint-with properly shaped doors as will be understood by reference toF1gs2 and 3'. fThe cross shape inner frame? and 10'has atits front portion laterally projecting parts ly shaped to the portions 20 of the boxhke structure so that when the two frames are. put together as indicated, the entrance to the compartment 16 provides surrounding boundaries 12, 14 and 20, which are snugly fitted by the doors as indicated. The frame a 13 at the front of the cabinet holds the cross a shapetrame 9 and 10 snugly in positmna within the boxlike structure and providespan; outside finish.

The inner walls 4 of the boXlike structure' and walls 9 of the cross shape frame be strengthened by angle irons. as indicated at 17 and 18, and moreover, iron 17 on the sides may be utilized to sup port trays or shelves 19.

26 and 27 are vacuum valves which com-- municate with the compartments 7 and 6,, respectively, of the boxlike structure and through which the air from said compart-- ments may be exhausted to provide a sub-- stantial vacuum within said compartments,. the effect of which is to materially preventthe conduction of heat from the outside at-' mosphere to the inner compartment 16., This non-conduction of heatis further pre-- vented by the presence of the non-conduct-- ing packing 8 between i the wooden outer shell 2 of the cabinet and the inner metallic boxlike structure. The constructing of these valves may be of the character illustrated in Fig. l, in which is shown a tubular body 3, having a valve seat 33, to which is fitted a rubber valve Set, having a stem 35. around hich is placed a spring 36' to normally hold the valve upon its seat. This valve 33 opensout-ward so that when the vacuum is ma1ntained. it tends to draw the valvetightly upon its seat and prevent inflow oi air. The body part 32 is soldered tightly to themetal. lic casing so as to communicate with. the proper compartment therein. The outerendi of the body extends beyond the wooden. cabinet 2 and is screw threaded tor the re ception of a cap 36, having on its interiora rubber packing 37 so that when the cap: is screwed tightly in place, it hermetically" seals the valve device'against any inflow off air and thereby doubly secures the mainte nance otthe partial vacuum within the compartment. hen it is desired to exhaust. the air from the compartments 6 and 7, the: caps 36 are removed 't'romthe valve devices 26 and 27 and a suitable vacuum pump is. successively screwed upon the bodies of the valves and when the proper extent of" vacuum is secured, the vacuum pump is removed and the cap in each instance is screwed back in plac U a a The air may be exhausted from the comartments 11 in the cross shape frame 9 and itOby the use of a vacuum pump and similar vacuum valves 29, one of which is indicated in Fig. 1. In thiscase, I have shown the 12 and 1d similarthe angle 1 1,4 teases valve as opening into one of the compartments, but I do not restrict myself as to the location of this valve as it may be placed in any convenient position.

The doors 21 may have wooden outer portions to which the hinges 25 are attached, but on their inner portions they are provided with metal bodies in which the sheet metal is so shaped as to provide double compartments or chambers 23 and 24 with bounding walls shaped to snugly fit the entrance walls 20 before referred to, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 2 and The particular shape ol the coacting' parts of the doors and the boxlike structure and cross shape frame is not material vso long as these parts provide reasonably snug joints. To insure a hermetically sealing of the doors so that a partial vacuum may be maintained in the compartments 16, these doors may be provided with rubber packing 88 (Fig. The doors may each be provided with vacuum valves 30 and 31 through which the air from the compare vments 2i and 23, respectively, may be exhausted so that the doors may provide nonconducting alls against the passage of heat as well as the main body of the larder.

Aside from the employment of vacuum valves for the surrounding compartments to the food compartments 16 additional valves of a similar nature may be provided for each of these compartments, one of which is indicated at 28 in Fig. 2. By the employ- .ment of a vacuum pump, the air from the compartment 16 may be exhausted through the said vacuum valves 28 when the doors 21 have been tightly closed. In this manner the food may be sealed within a chamber which not only is devoid oi moisture but is vacuum condition of the others. It is manitest, however, that it will suliice that the entire interior of all the compartments 16 may be exhausted at the same time through one vacuum valve and by employing a pump of sutlicient capacity, this may be speedi'ly accomplished. Where the larders are of large size, such as in market establishments. butchers shops and large restaurants, the vacuum creating devices may be power driven, but this forms no part of my present invention.

As there will be a material tendency to cause the walls 3 and a as well as'the walls of the inner frame 9 and 10 to collapse under the atmospheric pressure when the i ,aeeeea vacuum is produced within the compartments 7, 6 and 11, I have found it expedient to prevent this tendency of collapsing by introducing into the compartments spacing strips of the character illustrated in Fig. 6, these comprising corrugated ribbons 4O notched on the edge as at 4L1 and coiled or otherwise irregularly wound so as to loosely fill the compartments aforesaid. The character of this filling when in place is illustrated in Fig. 5. I have not shown these filling strips in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 because it would have more or less confused the drawing. It will sufiice therefore to state that if desired, all of these spaces 6, 7 and 11, and if desired, 23 and 24 on the doors also, may be filled with the strips l0 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5. Broadly considered, any other suitable means for preventing collapsing of the walls may be employed, if so desired. Such means is in a measure shown by the use of the angle irons 17 and 18.

It will be manifest that, if the different compartments 16 for receiving the food are to be hermetically sealed it were one from the other, it would be desirable that the abutting surfaces of the cross frame 9 and 10 shall be soldered to the inner wall or lining 4 of the boxlike structure, this being merely a shop practise for securing a tight joint. Such soldered joints would be at 39., for er-cample.

l have found in practise that a larder constructed on the principals hereinbefore described is exceedingly effective in preserving foods and resisting the atmosphereic heat. l have also found that. where desired, ice may be employed for cooling purposes with good results, though in this case moist atmosphere is more or less present and to that extent objectionable. dowever, it will be apparent that, one or more of the compartments 16 may be-employed as ice receivers and through proximity to the other or adjacent compartments 16 exhausted of the air may tend to keep the same in a cool condition by chilling the metal constituting the walls of the structure. Such compartments as containing the ice may also be utilized, for storage of bottled goods or those things which are not materially afiected by moi ture, or where the articles are required to be kept cold and preserved for only short periods. It will, therefore, be apparent that my improved larder may be utilized for the preservation of food without any refrigeration, or where desired, it may be used in association with a refrigerant such as ice in one or more of the compartments; and in this latter case, the compartments containing the ice may be exhausted, if so desired, of the air content.

lVhile l have describedmy improvements in the form which I have found well suited to the requirements of commercial use, nevertheless, I do not confine or restrict myself to the details, as these are susceptible of modification and changes within the scope of mechanical skill without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An improved larder comprising a boxlike structure having an open front and with hollow walls in which a partial vacuum is maintained, combined with a self contained interior hollow wall structure in the form of a cross dividing the interior compartment of the boxlilre structure into several smaller compartments, said interior hollow wall structure having a partial vacuum maintained therein, and a plurality of hinged. doors to close the entrances to the respective smaller compartments, said doors also providing hollow walls in which a partial vacuum is maintained.

2. An improved larder comprising a boxlike structure having an open front and with hollow walls in which a partial vacuum maintained, combined with a self contained. interior hollow wall structure having vertical. and horizontal. portions dividing the interior compartment of the boxlike struc ture into several smaller compartments and in which partial vacuum. is maintained, a plurality of hinged doors to close the entrances to the respective smaller compartments, said doors providing hollow walls in which a partial. vacuum is maintained, means for hermetically sealing the plurality of doors when in closed positions, and vacuum valve devices opening through the walls of the boxlike structure to permit the air to be exhausted from each of the hermetically sealed compartments after the doors are closed.

In testimony of which invention, I hereunto set my hand.

ADULPH A. KLEIJ,

Witnesses:

WM. H. SMITH, E. W. SMITH. 

